What is holistic dentistry?
Holistic dentistry treats the mouth as part of the whole body rather than as a row of teeth repaired one at a time. At Form + Function Dental Aesthetics, holistic dentistry in Las Vegas means your airway, your bite, your jaw joints, your sleep and your medical history are examined alongside the teeth, in one appointment, by one dentist. It also means the materials we place are metal free, the imaging we take is low dose and taken only when it will change a decision, and treatment preserves as much natural tooth as the situation allows.
The word holistic carries a great deal of weight in dentistry, and not all of it is earned. We use it narrowly and literally: the whole is examined, not the part. Everything described here is performed in our studio in Summerlin. Nothing here is a promise about a disease we can treat.
Is holistic dentistry the same as biological dentistry?
In practice the two terms describe the same intent, and patients searching for biological dentistry in Las Vegas are usually looking for what this page describes: metal free restorations, careful removal of older silver fillings, conservative preparation of the tooth, and a dentist who asks about sleep, breathing and general health. Neither term is a protected credential and no board certifies a dentist as holistic. The useful question is therefore not what a practice calls itself, but what it can show you: which tests it runs, which materials it places, and what it declines to claim.
Dr. Kevin Tan earned his undergraduate degree and his Doctor of Dental Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University and completed the Kois Center curriculum, which teaches diagnosis before treatment: understanding why a mouth is breaking down before deciding what to place in it.
How a whole body view changes the examination
A tooth rarely fails on its own. A cracked molar, a worn edge, a receding gum line and a jaw that aches in the morning are often one story told in four places, and that story often begins with how you breathe at night or how your bite distributes force.
So the appointment is longer than you may be used to. The two hours held for a new patient exist for this reason: there is no way to look at the airway, the bite, the joints and the teeth together in twenty minutes.
What the first visit covers
- A conversation about sleep, energy, headaches, breathing and your medical history
- An examination of teeth, gums, tongue, muscles and jaw joints, with oral cancer screening
- Low dose digital X-rays and large view CBCT imaging when it changes a decision
- Salivary and oral pathogen testing, plus plaque staining that dates bacteria at 24 hours
- Overnight oxygen recording with a SleepStat pulse oximeter when indicated
- A written plan with the full cost before treatment begins
Testing that identifies what is actually in your mouth
Gum inflammation is not one condition with one cause. We run a comprehensive oral pathogen and salivary test that identifies the specific bacteria, fungus or virus present, so treatment answers what is in your mouth rather than what is usually in a mouth. A plaque staining system sorts bacteria by age at a 24 hour threshold and by cavity producing risk, which makes home care advice specific.
Research has drawn associations between oral inflammation and conditions elsewhere in the body. Those associations are worth taking seriously and worth acting on. They are not proof that treating your gums will treat anything else, and we will not suggest otherwise. Inflammation in your mouth is measurable, treatable, and better addressed than ignored.
Metal free dentistry and the removal of silver amalgam fillings
The restorations we place are tooth colored: composite fillings matched to the shade of the tooth, porcelain crowns, porcelain veneers and composite bonding. If you already carry silver amalgam fillings, Dr. Kevin removes them using protocols and technology designed to minimize your exposure during the procedure, then restores the tooth with a material that blends into it.
Here is the honest framing, because this is where claims tend to outrun evidence. Removing an old amalgam filling is a procedure that deserves protection and care, which is why Dr. Kevin follows protocols designed to minimize your exposure while it is taken out. We do not claim that the fillings currently in your mouth are making you ill, and a dentist who says they know that has not measured it. Patients replace amalgam for sound reasons: the filling has cracked or is leaking, the tooth around it is failing, or they would rather not carry metal.
Minimally invasive dentistry preserves what you already have
No material outperforms healthy enamel, so the conservative option is usually the right one. Cleanings use an air polishing system of warm air, water and fine powder, which lifts buildup with minimal scraping. Where the case allows, no prep and minimal prep veneers change the shape and color of a tooth while removing little or no structure. Whether a conservative option suits your case depends on your enamel and your bite, and Dr. Kevin will tell you at your consultation.
Why breathing belongs in a holistic conversation
How you breathe at night is a whole body matter, and it is the part of holistic care this practice is built around. Dr. Kevin's interest began with his own diagnosis. He was an elite athlete who could not get enough oxygen, and the cause turned out to be a narrow dental and skeletal airway rather than a fitness problem.
We screen for airway concerns, record overnight oxygen data, image the airway in three dimensions with large view CBCT, and treat with dental appliances that do not require CPAP. MARPE expansion, jaw repositioning, custom orthotics and laser therapy for airway soft tissue are used where they apply. A medical diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is made by a physician rather than a dentist, so we coordinate with a sleep physician.
What does holistic dentistry cost, and will insurance cover it?
Cost depends entirely on what your mouth needs, so we do not publish figures that would not apply to you. What we commit to is the process. You receive the full cost of your treatment in writing before treatment begins, and no figure appears later that was not in front of you first. Cosmetic consultations are $50. Payment plans and third party financing are reviewed at your consultation.
We accept most PPO dental insurance plans and are in network with a select few. Coverage varies by plan and by procedure, and no dental office can promise what your plan will pay. We verify your benefits and show you what we find. Some elements of a whole body approach, advanced testing among them, may sit outside what a dental plan covers, and you will know which ones before you decide.
What we do not claim, and what we refer out
We do not offer biocompatibility or materials sensitivity testing. We do not offer ozone therapy or nutritional counseling. We do not use the vocabulary of cleansing or purification, because it describes nothing we perform. We do not treat systemic disease, and we will not tell you that dental treatment will resolve one.
We also refer out, deliberately and often. Orthodontic braces, oral surgery including wisdom tooth extraction and the surgical placement of implant fixtures, root canal treatment by an endodontist, periodontal surgery and dentistry for very young children belong in other hands. Form + Function is a restorative and airway focused practice working alongside a trusted network of Las Vegas providers. Restraint is not a smaller version of holistic care. It is the version that holds up.
